Football and Life

Football is here and Fall is around the corner. Cool weather and football go together like tomatoes and rice, or as we say in south Georgia "may-tters and rice". Go Falcons! Can they do it? Time will tell. Go Bulldogs! Can they win the SEC? Time will tell.

I played High School football for 5 years (JV and Varsity). Looking back on that wonderful experience I now realize that playing football has much to teach one in life. It teaches you to give your best on every play. It teaches you to never give up. It teaches you to be a team player. It teaches you how to work through adversity. It teaches you about the up's and down's in life, the mountain top experiences and the valleys that are so low: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Those long hours of practice pay off on Friday night. You become victorious during practice and it shows up on Friday night. In life, you become victorious through the valley journeys and it shows up on the mountain tops of life. That's just some of the things you learn.

A famous football coach once said that there are about 12 plays in a game that can turn that ball game around. I witnessed that a couple of weeks ago at one of our local high school games. You may have seen that this weekend in some of the college and NFL games. In life there are key times that become defining moments. Those are times where crucial decisions have to be made. That's when we must be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Facing a decision now? Look back on the journey up to this point. How did God lead you in prior defining moments? Couple that with your trust in Him and step forward in faith. God will lead you through.

Camouflage

I came across a word today that got me to thinking: "Camouflage". Interesting word. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear this word? For me our troops camouflaged in their desert gear comes to mind. Maybe you think about a hunter in his camouflage. Or if you are a Discovery Channel junkie, maybe you think of all those wildlife shows and how the snakes and other critters camouflage themselves in their natural setting.
Webster says camouflage means 1) the disguising of troops, ships, guns, etc. to conceal them from the enemy, as by the use of paint, nets, or leaves in patterns merging with the background. 2) a disguise or concealment of this kind. 3) any device or action used to conceal or mislead; deception. [Websters New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Macmillan, NY, 1994, p.201]
"Camouflage" comes from the French word "camoufler" meaning to disguise and possibly influenced by "camouflet" meaning puff of smoke. (we say someone is 'blowing smoke'.)
Two things grab me: 1) the third definition-any device or ACTION used to CONCEAL or MISLEAD. 2) Puff of smoke. Some so called professing Christians are, what I call, "Camouflage Christians". Their actions conceal their true idenity and really they're just a puff of smoke. They come to church, sing the songs, speak the language, but they do not have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matt.7:21-23 NKJV). The NLT translation says, "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to Me as Lord, but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey My Father in heaven."
People may camouflage themselves from other people, but Jesus knows the heart. And the one key revealing thing is "Obedience." Do they obey God and His Word? Are they blowing smoke? Only way to know is are they obeying God's Word? What about you? The Bible says, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified. [unless indeed you do not stand the test."] II Cor.13:5. (For more on salvation see our Web site www.sandhillbaptist.com and go to our links page and click on the NEED HIM link.)
Camouflage. Interesting word. Just rambling about it on a beautiful September Saturday. Tell me what you think. God bless,
Bro. Royce

Blogging

Hey Gang,
Trying to get this blogging thing up and running. High tech? I ain't. From the old school? I am. Growing up, I knew what clogging was. Growing old, I'm learning what blogging is. So bear with us, and we'll get this thing cranked up and running soon. Hopefully before blogging is outdated and something else takes its place.
May God bless,
In His Name,
Bro. Royce